Potholes

Please report it as soon as possible so we can get on and fix it.

Your extra sets of eyes will help us keep track of where potholes are forming, so repairs can be scheduled.

The best way to report things is by using the Antenno app (with photos if possible) or by calling our contact centre on 237 5089.

A pothole is a depression or hole in a road surface. It is usually the result of water getting into the underlying pavement structure, which breaks up the road surface and causes further deterioration. Traffic passing over the area removes the broken pieces.

All reports of potholes go straight to our maintenance contractor who respond as soon as possible. You may have noticed that we often do a temporary repair, which doesn’t always last.

There is a good reason for this:

• It addresses the immediate safety issue
• It gives us time to understand why the pothole is forming
• It gives us time to programme longer term repair works, which can only be done in fine weather
• It puts us in a holding pattern if we know an area is about to be upgraded e.g. intersection improvement works. This means the longer-term repair is captured in the larger upgrade works.

The goal is to minimise expenditure, so we’re not spending money on permanent repairs that will then get redone as part of a larger project.

An example of this is in Kenepuru Drive. A major repair and resurfacing project is coming, as well as an intersection improvement project – but in the meantime, we’re doing some temporary work just to patch things up a bit before the substantial work is done.

• Initial fix. In the first instance all potholes are filled with an asphalt mix, which is then sand sealed to keep the water out. This can last anything from one week to years depending on the underlying cause
• Longer term fix – where there are a number of potholes on a road or they are failing repeatedly, we programme a more comprehensive repair. This involves an investigation into why the section of road is failing – such as a water leak or surface delamination where the road layers start to separate. Once the root cause is fixed, we then carry out a wider dig out – down to about 200mm or deeper as required – which is then rebuilt and resurfaced.